See Luxury and the Casa Nova residences mentioned in Bauer Il Palazzo.

See our three-day family itinerary for Venice.

Families should consider staying at the Palazzo Selvadego, the sister of the Monaco & Grand Hotel, also owned by the Benetton Group. Housed in a 16th-century building a five-minute walk from the Monaco, the Selvadego has forty rooms with kitchenettes, a stylish decor in warm colors and terraces on the upper floors. You forgo close-up views of the Grand Canal, but for families this property is a good value, and the location can’t be beat. Rooms from 200 euros a night depending on the season.

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This five-star hotel is often referred to as the poor man’s Hotel Cipriani, which is not really a fair comparison. The two hotels share a private dock near St. Mark’s Square, where their private launches collect guests to ferry them back to their properties. And yes, the Cipriani guests tend to be dressed better and do pay almost twice as much for their more palatial rooms, but many San guests could afford the Cipriani and have just opted for the lower-key, more family-friendly experience that the San Clemente offers.

On its own 17-acre island behind Giudecca, the San Clemente Palace occupies a former 17th century monastery, which later served as a hospital for female mental patients. The 200 rooms face lovely landscaped gardens and range from decent-sized doubles to grand suites, all of which are decorated in a baroque Venetian style with gilt-framed mirrors, carved wood furniture and tasseled curtains. Unlike hotels like the Palazzo Bauer and the Ca’ Sagredo, which have been faithfully restored, there is a feeling of brand-newness to the guest rooms here that some may find reassuring in a new resort way and others may feel lends a slightly sterile or faux-historic quality.

Parents with restless children who need to be rewarded for their sight-seeing behavior with pool time love the property. The pool lies at a respectful distance from the guest rooms, so there are no restrictions on when kids can swim and splash. Waiters serve lunch and cool drinks to your chaise or at the poolside café. The danger, of course, is that in good weather, you may be tempted to stay all day when Venice and its treasures lie just a boat ride away. As the island contains only the hotel, children can roam the gardens, looking for rabbits (there are some long-eared white ones) or playing hide-and-seek. The Cipriani, maybe because of its history, its honeymooners and its old-guard clientele, demands a certain buttoned-up propriety from its guests, which can be stressful for parents of young children. (You would never let under ten-year-olds explore unaccompanied.) The resort ambiance and large, almost corporate feeling of the San Clemente allows family to relax a bit more. Of course, with the more relaxed standards, you do get a dip in service. On a recent trip, the Wifi in the room did not work, nor did the reception offer to send a tech guru as they would at the Palazzo or Cipriani . And the reception suggested one family visit and Murano, but had no advice for Venice itself. Rooms from 363 euro depending on the season.

Who it’s right for: Large groups and families who want to take advantage of staying at a true resort with lawns, gardens, pool, tennis court, even a few holes of golf, but one that is only a fifteen-minute boat ride from the center of Venice.

Who it’s wrong for: Anyone who expects truly flawless service or wants Venice right at the doorstep. Launches leave every twenty minutes and take about fifteen minutes to cross the lagoon.